Bath mitt



Nov. 25, 1947. G. soLAKlAN ETAL BATH MITT Filed'Sept. l, 1944 [warm/07 .5 Gaaye field/5,5420 Zaq 56 mm Patented Nov. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE George Solakian and Zabel Solakian, Belmont, Mass Application September 1, 1944, Serial No. 552,230

This invention relates to toilet appliances, and more particularly to an improved mitt for use in soaping and cleaning the skin. The customary wash cloth, usually of terry fabric or so-called Turkish toweling, tendsto become a mere lump when held in the hand and is not easy to hold in such a'wayas to afford an extended surface for contact with the skin. Such a wash cloth is especially troublesome to use when bathing children who have no interest in the process and usually turn twist so that the wash cloth can not be at all effectively applied. The present invention has for its object the provision of. a soaping and washing appliance which provides a large, extended surface for contact with the skin; which may readily be held in properly extended position and without danger of being dropped when in use; which conforms automatically to the. palm and fingers of the hand, thus greatly facilitating any desired massaging action; which may readily be put on. and removed from the users hand; which is strong and durable and readily washed and sterilized if desired, and whichmay be made easily and cheaply and, if desired, be of a pleasing ornamental. appearance. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out. in the following more detailed description. and by reference to: the accompanying. drawings, wherein.

Fig. l is a rear elevation of the complete mitt;

Fig. 2. is a diagrammatic, fragmentary section substantially on the line 2-4 of Fig. 1;:

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the wrist portion of. the mitt turned inside out;

Fig. 4 a fragmentary, diagrammatic section on the. line 4-4 of. Fig.3; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a short length of a desirable form of reinforcing tape for use in making the mitt.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I designates the hand portion of the mitt and 2 the wrist portion. Preferably this mitt is without separate thumb and finger portions so that the entire hand may be housed in a single compartment, thus giving entire freedom to the thumb and fingers in applying pressure, through the material of the mitt, to the skin.

As. here illustrated (Fig. 2), the mitt comprises 'a back member 3 and a front member 4', each preferably of a pervious textile fabric preferably of a more or less rough textured type, such, for example, as terry cloth or Turkish toweling. Each of the front and rear members comprises a hand or body portion and a wrist portion, these portions preferably being integral. As illustrated 2 in Fig. 2;, the wrist portion is provided with a lining comprising the parts 5 and it which are secured at the inside of the wrist portions of the front and rear members. Preferably these. lining members extend from the: opening at. thewristonly approximately as far as the. junction of the wrist and hand portions of. the mitt, thus providing a single thickness of material at the hand portion through which the thumb and fingers may apply the desired. washing pressure. However, if preferred, it is contemplated that the lining may extend throughout the entire area of the hand portion of the: mitt aszweh as the wrist. portion. Preferably the lining is made of. some smooth surfaced material; for instance a satin. weave fabric or a fabric of: some smooth yarn such as rayon. The employment of a smooth lining fabric at the wrist portion. of the mitt facilitates the operation of pulling the mitt on. and: removing In order to retain the mitt securely in: place when drawn over the hand, the back: member 3 is referably provided, at its inner side, with a transversely extending contractile element 1', for instance a piece of elastic webbing. This: elastic webbing is securedwhile in stretched condition. to the member 3, for example by a sewed seam. l and when it is released it; tends to contract the: member 3 transversely at the wrist portion so as to decrease the size of the opening through which the hand may be inserted into the hand; portion. of'the mitt. While it is contemplated that a. similar contractile member may be: associated the front member of the mitt, thisis not necessary as the" mitt is retained place amply well by the use of a single elastic element at the back of the mitt, and the front or palm portion of the. mitt is thus left unwrinkl-ed.

The members 3 and 4 are of substantially the same size and shape, and in assembling the parts are arranged with their margins in registry. In order to impart the desired strengthto the mitt (since terry cloth or similar material is not particularly strong), the present invention con-tom plates the provision of a strip of reinforcing material, for example textile tape, which isinterposed between the margins of the front and rear members, except at the wrist openingfthe front and rear members and the interposed tape being united by a sewed seam T2. In assembling the parts, the members 3 and 4 are placed wrong side out in registry with the tape between them, and, after the seam l2 has been formed, the mitt is turned inside out so that a finished edge is thus provided. Preferably the tape employed is such as shown at T in Fig. 5. This tape comprises a series of U-shaped bights C of heavy cord secured together to form a continuous body portion by a series of closely parallel sewed seams S, the ends of the bights C of cord being frayed out to form a fringe. The seam 12 passes through the body portion of this tape, and when the mitt is turned, the fringe portion F forms a highly ornamental border for the mitt, particularly if the tape T be of a color which contrasts with the terry cloth forming the members 3 and 4.

At the wrist portion, where the lining members and 6 are employed, the lining members are assembled with the members 3 and 4 before the latter areunited and the seams ll (Fig. 4) are first formed and then the lining members 5 and 6 are turned backwardly, the reinforcing tape 8 is interposed between the parts 3 and 4, as above described, and the seam I2 is formed.

At the wrist opening, the margins of the parts 3 and. 4 and the lining members 5 and 6 are turned inwardly, and pieces of reinforcing tape 9 and H), for example like the tape T, are interposed between the inturned edges, and the parts are secured together by sewed seams, the pieces 9 and I0 of tape thus forming a reinforce for the edge of the opening at the wrist, and, if of ornamental character, providing an ornamental border for this opening. The linings are secured at their inner edges to the members 3 and 4 by stitched seams at I3.

In use, the user thrusts the hand through the wrist opening and into the single large compartment K at the hand portion of the mitt, and may now freely employ the palm portion of the mitt in the same way as an ordinary wash cloth for applying soap and water and for scrubbing and massaging the skin but without any danger that the appliance will drop from the hand, the thumb and fingers having complete freedom of action so that the surface of the mitt which is being used may be held extended or curved to conform to the particular portion of the anatomy which is being scrubbed. While the mitt remains on the hand very securely and it may nevertheless be withdrawn merely by taking hold of the fingertip end of the mitt with the other hand and pulling the hand from out the mitt, the smooth surface lining assisting in this operation. The mitt is of such simple construction that it may easily be made by relatively unskilled labor; it requires little material; and is so simple in construction that it is easily laundered and readily sterilized, if desired, since it contains no metallic parts which might be injured or corroded by such treatment.

Since the margin of each of the pieces 3 and 4 is bordered by the strong and flexible reinforcing tape, the mitt is very durable and will withstand a great deal of hard usage and stretching without danger of tearing at the seams.

While tape such as shown at T is very desirable for the purpose since it combines strength, flexibility and ornamental character, it is contemplated that tape of other type may be employed, and that while a portion of the tape here disclosed projects outwardly so as to be exposed to View for its ornamental effect, the tape need not so project but may be so arranged as to be flush with the edges of the members 3 and 4 along the margins of the mitt. While, as here suggested, the back of the mitt is of the same material as the front, since this provides added wear, it is contemplated that the back of the mitt may be of other material than the front, in particular that it need not be of pervious material and thus may be chosen solely for its ornamental appearance, if desired.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention has been shown and described by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be regarded as limited to this pre else arrangement but is to be limited only in respect to the terms of the appended claim.

We claim:

A bath mitt of the kind having but a single accessible compartment, said compartment being designed and of a size and shape to accommodate the users hand, including the thumb and fingers and also the wrist, the mitt having a wrist opening for the insertion and withdrawal of the users hand, and comprising like front and back members each of rough-textured textile fabric, each comprising a hand portion and a Wrist portion integral therewith, said front and back members being of substantially the same size and shape and having their edges in registry and constituting respectively the front and rear walls of said compartment, a strip of strong reinforcing tape interposed between the margins of the front and rear members except at the wrist opening, a sewed seam uniting said margins and the interposed tape, a lining of smooth surfaced fabric at the inner side of the Wrist portion of each of the front and rear members thereby to facilitate donning and dofling of the mitt,

means securing the linings in place, a length of normally contracted but extensible elastic webbing interposed between one of said smooth linings and the associated rough textured fabric member, stitching uniting the length of elastic webbing to the rough-textured fabric member with which it is associated, the elastic webbing being so arranged as to tend transversely to contract the rough textured fabric member to which it is secured, and reinforcing tape interposed between each of said rough-textured fabric members and its respective lining at the wrist opening and secured in place by a sewedseam thereby to provide a finished edge, the reinforcing tape bordering the mitt proper and also that bordering the Wrist opening comprising an ornamental fringe portion which projects outwardly from the parts between which it is interposed.

GEORGE SOLAKIAN. ZABEL SOLAKIAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

